Railroad-crossing.



F. E. BOWE'B.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. 1915.

Patented June 27, 1916.

i FRANKEE] EIWER.

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FRANK E. BOWER, 0F GGLUMBUS, OHIO;

RAILROAD-CROSSING.

Llsg gs j Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 18, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. Bownn, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in railroad crossings, and the main object of the invention is the provision of a switch applied thereto that will prevent snow or ice from clogging the same.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a switch that will automatically clear any foreign substance that might accumulate thereon, and thus prevent the operation of said switch.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a continuous crossing for interlocking and high speed points.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel, details of constructions, combinations, and arrangemeuts of parts, clearly described in the following specification; and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention; Fig. 2 a sectional view taken on the lines 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the quarter sections showing the plates 3; and Fig. 4t is a modified form of disk 6.

Referring more particularly to these drawings, which illustrate the practical application of the invention, the numeral 1 designates ordinary T-rails engaging my improved crossing which is made in quarter sections 2 to allow for a removal of any of the said sections without interfering with the remaining sections, in the event that one of them becomes broken. Located upon the plates 3 are a series of disks 4 of the same size as the plates 3, with grooves 5 for completing the connections between the rails 1. In Fig. 4 is shown a modification, that of semi-circular disks 6; the idea being that many continuous crossings have been criticized by railroad men for the reason that they allow sleet and ice to accumulate in them, and thereby prevent their being worked readily and easily. By having the disk 3 the same size as the plate 4, it re-' moves the place for the ice and elect to Patented June 27, 1916.

Serial No. 34,906.

gather. If the arc-shaped plates 6 are used, it will cut away when the plate is turned, any ice or snow that may have gathered on the plates 3. Pinio-ns 7 and 8, While connected with the plates 4 through the medium of a pin are so arranged as clearly illustrated by the drawings to engage the rack bars 9 and 10 respectively, and in the event that any of the cogs become broken or worn, the respective pinion can be partially turned around and thereby increase the duration several folds. The pinions and rack bars where they mesh with the pinions are to be incased as at 12, so as to keep out the dirt, snow and ice.

The numeral 13 represents a lock which may be controlled by an operator, through a system of levers. WVhen the handle 14 is pulled toward the right, sleeve 15 moves to the left, because of the pivot pin 16, this moves arm 17 to the left together with links 18 and moves rack bars 9 and 10, thus turning the pinions 7 and 8, and therewith disks 4. To keep the disks in fixed position so that the quarter sections will not slip, through rod 19 and lever 20 and 21 the rod 22 can be moved back and forward as a lock for the arm 17 because of the pro jection 23 and groove 24.

It is obvious that those skilled in this art may vary the details of construction and combination of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and

Therefore what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A railroad crossing comprising a series of circular plates, a series of disks supported by the same and each of said disks having secured thereto a pinion, a plurality of rack bars engaging said pinions, a plurality of links connected with said rack bars, an arm engaging said links and having a sleeve mounted thereon with an aperture formed therein for engagement with a rod, a lever engaging said rod, and means for operating said lever and arm so as to substantially lock said rod in the desired position as and for the purpose set forth.

I a'fliX my signature hereto in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. BOWER.

Witnesses:

C. E. BLANCI-IARD, A. H. H001).

@opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

